1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to continuous irrigation of patients in surgical situations, and particularly to irrigation systems and control valve devices used therein. The present invention control valve devices provide for automatic switching from a first liquid irrigant bag to a second, without the need for manual changing, valving or other operation.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
During the course of specialized operative procedures by endoscopic surgeons (urologists, orthopedic and gynecologic surgeons), the constant flow of irrigating solutions is mandatory and required to maintain clear visibility of the operative field. Any interruption of this flow causes blood and operative debris to obscure the field, temporarily. As a result, the resection or procedure must be terminated until the flow has been re-established. This irrigant, which may be water, normal saline, or sorbitol, or other aqueous solution, is usually delivered through a Y-tubing, two bags connected to the upper portions of the Y which join into a common tubing to which the instrument is connected. When one bag is empty, the nurse usually closes the valve at the base of the empty bag and opens the full bag""s valve. She then removes the empty bag and reconnects a new full one. Occasionally, both bags will be left running open together but unfortunately when this is done, the bags will empty together and the same process of lack of irrigant occurs as well. The process of switching from bag to bag is a process that involves constant monitoring of the irrigant by the nurse to effect a constant flow. Unfortunately, in practice this does not happen efficiently, and oftentimes, the nurse is involved in some other operating room task that temporarily distracts her from this important function. She may only be reminded by the surgeon when he observes that his operative field of vision is obscure due to the lack of irrigant. It takes her several seconds to minutes to restore this flow depending upon her involvement with other sometimes critical tasks at hand. These may be precious, anxious, and sometimes dangerous moments for the surgeon and the patient.
The prior art systems using the Y-connection which require manual switching, also sometimes create secondary problems, such as air pockets, or bubbles, in the lines, and, of course, may take nurses away from other essential tasks when needed.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the present invention which is directed to overcoming the foregoing problems, is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.
The present invention is a system, and a device. The device is a continuous irrigation Y-tubing control valve for medical applications, including transurethral resection procedures. It includes (a) a main housing, the main housing having a hollow body and having a top and a bottom; (b) an outlet located on and extending downwardly from the bottom of the main housing for attachment of distal delivery tubing thereto for liquid flow to a patient; (c) two inlets, being a first inlet and a second inlet, located on the top of the main housing and extending upwardly therefrom for attachment of proximal tubing to each of the two inlets; (d) a hollow, sealed floatation valve hingedly attached to and located within the main housing. The valve has a first, open position and a second, closed position, wherein the first open position of said valve allows liquid flow from both the first inlet and the second inlet to the outlet, and wherein the second, closed position allows liquid flow from the first inlet to the outlet and prevents liquid flow from the second inlet to the outlet. Thus, when liquid flows while the floatation valve is in its first, open position, the main housing fills with liquid and the floatation valve rises to its second, closed position to permit flow only from the first inlet. On the other hand, when liquid flow from the first inlet ceases, the main housing empties and the floatation valve returns to an open position to permit flow from the second inlet to the outlet. The floatation valve is hingedly connected to the main housing in an offset manner so that it will maintain an open position by force of gravity when it does not contain enough liquid for floatation thereof. It will maintain a closed position via floatation when the main housing contains substantial liquid therein.
In some preferred embodiments, the top and the bottom of the main housing are separate pieces and are assembled together. The bottom includes sidewalls to establish a liquid holding hollow component or chamber, and the top is a cover component therefor. In one preferred embodiment, the top has downwardly extending brackets for hinged connection to the floatation valve. The floatation valve is a hollow, closed, floatable component and may advantageously be formed of molded plastic.
The valve device of may have a bottom with a generally semi-circular shape and the floatation valve may have a generally v-shape, such that when said floatation valve is in its open position, a bottom portion of the floatation valve rests on an inside surface of the main housing bottom.
The present invention continuous irrigation system may include:
(a) a first liquid irrigation bag;
(b) a second liquid irrigation bag;
(c) a first proximal tubing extending from the first liquid irrigation bag;
(d) a second proximal tubing extending from the second liquid irrigation bag;
(e) the control valve device described above; and,
(f) distal delivery tubing connected to the outlet for liquid flow to a patient via an instrument to which the tubing is connected at its opposite terminus.